Monthly Archives: March 2012

I love the sweet combination of fresh fruit with yogurt, and the warm weather these last couple of weeks has left me craving all things summer. So you won’t judge me too harshly for buying that pineapple on sale at the market that was just ripe. Sometimes seasonal loses. And that’s okay. All things in moderation. Unless you’re highly allergic to that thing. And then moderation factors out of the equation.

Thank God I am not allergic to pineapple.

Every morning I put my breakfast protein shake in the freezer for thirty minutes or so before consumption. I make it at the same time as my chai tea, and then the freezer improves the shake while the tea improves my ability to socially interact. This daily act became the inspiration for this recipe. That and a craving for a creamsicle.

I’m not sure what happened. Since about September I have had very few problems with food, but the week before last things got rocky again. My energy dropped, my complexion changed, and my stomach killed. So this past week I’ve simplified my diet a lot with the hopes that my body will realize that food is friend and not enemy. That my existence is friend and not enemy. It seems to be helping.

I have subsisted on plenty of water, Vega protein shakes with extra pea protein mixed in, juices, and lots of fruits and vegetables. And one legged yoga. And lots of sunshine.

I’ve had a juicer for several years, but shied away from green juices until fairly recently. Now my favorite greens to juice are collard greens and kale. I combine these with sweeter vegetables or fruits, and almost always a piece of ginger. I love ginger for it’s anti-inflammatory properties as well as for its taste.

Two rabbit trails about juicing. The first is that I’ve finally been able to get a slow start on our garden. Slow due to this fracture boot and the pair of metatarsal fractures held within. But a slow start is better than no start, and I am loving the excuse to be outside. I’ve started composting some of my juice pulp (while trying to come up with recipes that use the rest of it), and I am excited to use our own soil-enriching compost this summer.

The second is that I will be supervising the coffee/juice bar at Whole Foods Market when it opens here in Greensboro in a few weeks time. I, as you have discovered if you have brought up Whole Foods within my earshot over the past seven years, am a Whole Foods Market enthusiast. Not just for the quality products they offer, and how much easier they make it to have food allergies, but also for the integrity with which the company is run, and the way in which they treat their employees. But the juice. I was informed on Wednesday that we will have four vitamix blenders at the juice bar for making every sort of green organic nourishing smoothie. I cannot tell you how I have missed my childhood vitamix. Smoothie love. Raw love. The recipes I’ll be able to post here soon. It all just makes me so damn happy.

I have two juice recipes for you this week. One is new and one is my go-to juice. One is spicy and one is sweet. Both are delicious, in my humble opinion. Let me know which you prefer, and what your favorite juice recipe is as well!

Grapefruit Ginger Green Juice

This juice has quite a bite to it thanks to the combination of the grapefruit and the ginger.
Juice in the order listed.

Did I mention Prestogeorge Coffee & Tea when I posted about Pittsburgh? This great shop resides somewhere in the middle of the strip district. The walls are lined with jars of coffee beans and loose leaf teas. Intense, pungent, fresh. There are coffee roasters in the very back of the shop, the shop actually being named after master roaster John Prestogeorge, but just before these is where we lingered; tea.

As I shared in my about page, we have repurposed our french press to brew loose leaf teas. Joshua gave up coffee with me. He is a good man. In Prestogeorge, I did not flinch nor grimmace walking past the wall of coffee beans. The aroma is still one of my favorites, but feeling healthy is completely worth resisting this once favored beverage. And the tea. Oh, the tea. There were sections of black, white, green, matcha, white, and chai. There were whole cloves, catnip, and orange rinds. There was so much more.

During our first visit, I purchased a couple of ounces of classic chai (this being the morning staple), coconut black, and herbal double mint. Sister purchased a mango green. We returned the day before I left Pittsburgh so I could purchase additional chai, and a mango matcha.

I sit drinking the mango matcha, in perfect contentment. Just a pinch of stevia. Perfect. I bet it would be great iced too in these upcoming warm months. I love that the sun has returned to the evening hours now.

But to the vegetables.

I’ve posted a recipe with roasted vegetables before. I go through seasons where I make them nearly daily. This is a slight divergence from my normal routine. The addition of sesame oil and sesame seeds. A delicate nutty flavor. A whim.

What is your relationship with stevia? In my baking and sweetening, stevia and I have gone steady. It is a bit romantic, I won’t lie. This little herb provides sweetness without the calories or the crash, and I swear my unending devotion.

It’s not a perfect relationship.

My husband really cannot get past the bit of bitter in stevia. And as with every other sugar replacement, I am sure I will awaken one day to discover stevia is as safe and natural as sweet ‘n’ low. For now, we keep dancing, and I make separate desserts for Joshua.

I don’t pretend I don’t notice the bite that stevia sometimes delivers, it is especially prevalent in the cream cheese frosting I made today. You could use agave nectar or another low glycemic sugar substitute in it’s place, but I honestly don’t mind the taste. I don’t feel it overpowers the other flavors, and I swear the muffins are all the better for it.

Enough of my defense.

This afternoon I baked up a batch of light and nourishing carrot muffins. I like my muffins to be slightly sweet, and not too cake-like. The textures of coarse grains draw me in, and I almost always include a vegetable in my baked goods. Sometimes four. My major beef with many gluten-free mixes and pre-baked goods is the overwhelming ratio of starch to any other ingredient. No thanks.

The carrot muffins can be stored at room temperature for up to 24 hours. After that store in the refrigerator. I recommend storing the frosting and muffins separately, and frosting just before serving.

I drove up to Pittsburgh this past week to spend some time with my sister, Ali. We love a lot of the same foods, love good conversation, and love each other, so our times together are always lovely. She is really busy, and tends to subsist on apples with peanut butter, protein bars, and frozen vegetables, and so it’s nice to be able to cook for her whenever I visit.

We made broiled polenta with roasted vegetables similar to this recipe, only with tofu and more of a pizza feel like this recipe.

We also made a really simple curry, which I made a repeat of last night back in North Carolina. There is nothing fancy about the curry, just equal parts coconut milk and water, with plenty of spices and vegetables, simmered and served over quinoa. Don’t forget some fresh grated ginger! With Ali, I put broccoli, bok choy, and onion in the curry. With Joshua, I added baby carrots, green beans, and potatos… some of his favorites.

Curry is one of my go-to dinner recipes. It is versatile, leftovers keep well, and it is healthy. I think that especially with food allergies, it is really important to establish staple recipes. Some days I will spend hours looking at new recipes, only to realize I do not have the time to grocery shop. I get discouraged. I just want to eat, and I want to know it is going to be good. Maybe for most people these are the nights they go out to eat… the luxury.

Some great simple staples at my home include curry, nachos, stir fry, hearty salads, and quinoa or rice and beans. And then there is always a protein shake, apple with peanut butter, or soy yogurt with walnuts when it is just me. All so easy, adaptable, nourishing, and quick. What are the recipes you go to in a pinch?